February 19th, 2010 / 13 Comments » / by admin
We are celebrating the Whale Day this Saturday, February 20, 2010, here on Maui. I thought it would be a good timing to ask our bloggy friends if they have seen a whale. So my Aloha Friday question for today is “Have you seen a whale yet?” Please feel free to elaborate. tell us when, where or how. For me, I have seem the whales here on Maui through a “Whale Watch” with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Whales are incredible creatures! If you would like to learn more about whales, please visit the Pacific Whale Foundation site here.
If you would like to know more about Aloha Friday Meme and visit other participants, go to Kailani’s blog An Island Life. Aloha and have a wonderful weekend.
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February 16th, 2010 / 6 Comments » / by admin
For More Wordless Wednesday, visit 5 Minutes For Moms
For details on Chinese New Year Celebration 2010, click here.
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February 16th, 2010 / 1 Comment » / by admin
There are various events that will go on in celebration of the Chinese New Year 2010 on Maui. To start with, I want to highlight the celebration that is going to be happening at the Maui Mall on Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 10AM to 2PM. Details below:
The sights and sounds of Chinese New Year take center stage at Maui Mall on Saturday, February 20th when the Year of the Tiger makes its auspicious debut. Lion Dancers from the Maui Chinese Martial Arts Academy start things off at 10 am, with a colorful display of stylized martial arts movements beneath the dramatic lion head and flowing mane. The loud accompanying drums and cymbals ward off “evil spirits” while the lion delivers blessings. Everyone is invited to join in and “feed” the lion with lay see for good luck in the coming year.
A Keiki Chinese Attire Contest is up next with prizes and free Good Luck photos for kids in costume. Also for all others, Good Luck photos provided by Photography by Irvin with an authentic lion head from the Maui Chinese Cultural Society collection cost is $8.88 each photo.
Also kicking off a first-ever Chinese Children Art Contest from grades kindergarten to high school seniors for cash prizes. Around noon, Chef Dean Louie from the MCC Culinary Arts Academy will do a Chinese Cooking demonstration which the lucky audience will no doubt get to sample.
Be sure to pick up lunch at the food booths so you can sit and enjoy a variety of entertainment from the Kalimaya Ribbon Dancers to authentic Chinese music by Loretta Lau and Ranga Pae.
There will be free Whole Foods Market reusable bags for the first 500 participants, Tiger and animal balloons for the kids, calligraphy, food and craft booths and much more.
To be continued. More photos and Chinese New year Celebration on the next post.
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February 14th, 2010 / 4 Comments » / by admin
Hapa Girl and I visited our friend Marilyn at the Maui Swap Meet yesterday. Marilyn, also known as @jamarilyn at Twitter, designs fabulous shirts and bags. I thought I should feature her on this blog for you to get to know her. Aside from designing shirts and bags, she is also an author and a nurse. She is very talented, and a warn hearted person. More information about her talents and products are found on her website, Amaryrillis of Hawaii.
Since today is the Weekly Winner day, I picked out some photos from yesterday as my entries. Here are some of Marilyn’s beautiful design:
I invite you to visit other participants of Weekly Winner Meme. Click the logo below to go to our host’s blog, the Sarcastic Mom (she truly is a nice mom despite the sarcastic title of her blog) 
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February 11th, 2010 / 6 Comments » / by admin
Pizza Madness opened a few short years ago and quickly became a South Maui favorite. Located next to Maui Dive Shop on South Kihei Road, walking into Pizza Madness is kind of like entering the belly of an old wooden ship. The bronze-looking statues hanging around the place are always a point of interest- when is the last time you saw artwork depicting a shark devouring a slice of pepperoni? Pizza Madness is home to delicious food and amazing pizza, a great staff and plenty of TVs to catch the game. The oversized picnic tables around the perimeter are perfect for large groups, making this a fantastic spot to meet up with friends and family for a slice. 1455 S. Kihei Rd 270-9888
Kihei Caffe is a classic and a frequent stop for locals and visitors alike. Mention the name and you’re sure to hear “delicious” in response. The owner and staff are some of the best people you’ll meet on Maui and cheerfully serve up incredible food on a daily basis. The portions are BIG, everything is out-of-this-world delicious and the location right across from Kalama Park is perfect for a post-breakfast beach walk. 1945 S. Kihei Rd 879-2230 http://www.kiheicaffe.com/
Da Kitchen is the place to go when you’re hungry. The portions served up here are very generous and everything is satisfying. With breakfast, plate lunch, noodles, salads and burgers there’s sure to be something here for everyone with an appetite. Da Kitchen Express in the Rainbow Mall has plenty of seating and is a great place to chow down on the way home from a day at Big Beach. 2439 S. Kihei Rd 875-7782 http://www.da-kitchen.com/
Maui Thai is tucked away in the back corner of the Rainbow Mall in South Kihei. If you love Thai food, or have never tried it, then seeking this place out could be the best thing you have ever done for your taste buds. Maui Thai has long been considered by locals to be some of the best Thai food on island. Just about everything is under $20 and absolutely heavenly. Every dish is delicious, and you must try the one of the amazing curries. They are even running an early bird special right now: 15% off between 5-6pm. 2439 S. Kihei Rd 874-5605 http://www.mauithai.com/
Wokstar is relatively new to Kihei. But with delicious food, reasonable prices and a location right across from the whale at Kalama Park, Wokstar quickly established itself as a local favorite. Their long business hours, especially into the late night, means you can get your noodle fix just about anytime of the day. Order up a pupu, breakfast, soup, salad or any of the amazing bowls, from Maui Fried Rice to Indo Peanut Stir-Fry, and take a seat at one of the street front picnic benches perfect for people watching. And don’t leave without trying the banana lumpia. Wokstar offers coffees, teas, BYOB, and a keiki menu. There is also a current special for Happy Hour and Last Call hours: order one item and get 50% off the second item (of equal or lesser value). 1913-D S. Kihei Rd 495-0066 http://www.wokstarcafe.com/
Sansei is a celebrity of Hawaii restaurants. A quick peak at any local culinary magazine or Sansei’s own website and you will read why critics and sushi-lovers praise Sansei year after year. The Kihei location offers excellence in every dish and an abundance of creative sushi options. And the specials keep locals coming back time and again: Early Bird Dining offers 25-50% off and Late Night Thursday thru Saturday gets you 50% off and a chance to listen to karaoke, or sing if you’re feeling brave. Days and hours of specials vary so call or check the website for details. These specials are very popular, so arrive early and get in line. 1881 S. Kihei Rd 879-0004 http://www.sanseihawaii.com/
* This blog post is written by our guest blogger, Justine Volk. Thank you Justine!
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February 9th, 2010 / 10 Comments » / by admin
I shared with you about my staycation at the Hotel Hana Maui. On my previous post I shared a lot about what was going on with me and how the relaxation helped me, but I did not get to share as much about Hotel Hana Maui as I wanted to. And so this is the follow post. The beauty of Hana is beyond words. However, I will try to list some things that I loved about my stay:
1. The Scenic Drive to Hana. 600 curves and across 59 bridges (over half of which are just one lane wide), the beauty is simply stunning. I got to see waterfalls, bamboo forrest, and ocean view. It was my first time to drive there by myself, and I thought it would be “scary” – but it was actually enjoyable. Of course I made it a point to pull over every time I see a car or truck behind me, because I know I was driving slow. That made the drive less stressful. For tips on driving to Hana, check out Go Visit Hawaii Blog.
2. The Plantation Style Cottages With Ocean View. I love it that the hotel kept the original architectural designs of the plantation houses. There are some newer condos in the resort, but the one I stayed at is the older planation style and I love it! They matched the inside with an interior decoration filled with Hawaiiana style and spirit. Kris posted some pics on his Flickr site. There is no A/C but that did not bother me. I slept very well in the nights I stayed there. And in the morning, I woke up to a beautiful sunrise!
3. Heated Pool Overlooking the Ocean. This is is probably one of the most romantic part of the Hotel Hana Maui. At night, the pillars are lighted with fire. You can see it here on this photo in their website. Whether it’s day time or night time, this pool area is beautiful!
4. Relaxing as well as invigorating massages at Honua Spa. While I was in Hana, hubby called me to give me a “gift of massage” via Honua Spa. He read that the massages on Hotel Hana Maui are some of the best in the world so he told me to make sure I get one (yes, he paid for it). I got the Lomilomi massage and loved it. Next time I will try the stones. And let me not forget to share that their Spa products are wonderful! Smells so good and was so gentle with my skin and hair. It’s available on-line . I suggest you try them out.
5. Friendly Staff, Good Service. There’s a touch of Aloha on the services I got at Hana Hotel. The staff are friendly and helpful. They are always with a smile. I love the “local” accent or intonation as they speak. As for excellent services, one example is that I left my phone charger at home and the receptionist took extra steps to try to find me one from the unclaimed lost and found. She did not have to do that, but she did. She never found one but I appreciated the effort.
6. Complimentary Yoga. I arrived Friday afternoon and planned on attending the yoga class on Saturday but I stayed late in bed. So the next morning I made sure I woke up early. Having a complimentary yoga classes in the morning was very nice. Great way to start the day.
There are so much more to share. They say pictures are worth a thousand words so I thought I’d share many of the photos I took. Pleas enjoy the slide show below. Aloha!
*This post is also my entry to the ”Works For Me Wednesday” at We Are That Family Blog. I just want to empahize that staycation worked for me at this time, Go there to visit more participants.
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